1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical apparatus, and more particularly, to an instrument for driving surgical needles during endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
In endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures, surgery is preformed through a small incision in the patient's body. The incision provides access for a trocar or cannula device which allows insertion of various surgical instruments including, for example, retractors, scissors, and dip appliers. Few instruments exist however, which are configured for insertion through a trocar or cannula device to drive surgical needles during endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures.
Needle driving instruments used in conventional surgical procedures are well known however, and include those described for example, in: U.S. Pat. No. 1,266,466 to Greeley; U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,225 to Sovatkin et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,746 to Abramsen. Each of these patents describe hand-held needle driving instruments for performing sutured closure of tissue during procedures in which access to the surgical site is not limited to a trocar or cannula device.
An early surgical needle driver is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 253,209 to Jones. This device comprises a handle assembly, an elongated frame extending from the handle assembly, and a pivoting jaw mechanism at the distal end of the frame for holding a surgical needle. The device disclosed in Jones is limited however, in its range of operability.
Improvements have been made in the field of surgical instrumentation to increase the range of operability of apparatus for performing surgical procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,431 to Smith describes a device for insertion of an endotracheal catheter. The device includes a pivoting pilot blade which is adapted to be moved angularly through manipulation of an actuation mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,215 to Nierman also describes an instrument having an increased range of operability. In particular, Nierman provides a biopsy forceps comprising a pivoting distal end portion which moves relative to the longitudinal axis of the instrument through actuation of a cable system. Another surgical apparatus having an increased range of operability is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,020 to Green et at. This device is directed to a surgical fastener applier having a shaft assembly intermediate a proximal actuator assembly and a distal fastener applying assembly. The device provides a mechanism for rotating the shaft assembly about a first longitudinal axis. The fastener applying assembly may be manually rotated about a second transverse axis.
Other attempts at providing articulation of a distal end of a surgical instrument have made use of shape memory alloy elements such as, for example elements formed of TINEL brand material available from Raychem Corporation. Examples of uses of such material are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,665,906 and 5,067,957 to Jervis.
Currently, there is a need in the art for a needle driving instrument for use in endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedures which has an increased range of operability. The present invention meets these needs by providing an instrument for use in endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedures having a tool assembly which is adapted and configured to be articulated relative to the endoscopic body portion of the instrument, and rotated independently about an axis defined by the tool assembly to further increase the operational range of the apparatus.
These and other objects of the subject invention will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following summary of the subject invention.